Johannesburg: Australia has lodged a plea for
leniency with FIFA over Tim Cahill`s red card against Germany,
in a bid to have him back for its third group game, against
Serbia.

Cahill receives an automatic one-match ban covering
Saturday`s game against Ghana, but FIFA can increase the
penalty.

Football Federation Australia chief executive Ben Buckley
said today that the organization had lodged a document with
FIFA arguing that a one-match penalty is sufficient. The
document includes a statement from Bastian Schweinsteiger, the
German player fouled by Cahill. Schweinsteiger approached
Cahill in the mixed zone following the match and told Cahill
the red card was undeserved.